Tape drive with movable centering guide and door opening arrangement

ABSTRACT

A tape drive for accommodating tape cartridges of different sizes and capacities is provided with a tape insertion opening, a first guide at a first side of the tape insertion opening, and a second guide at a second side of the tape insertion opening. The first and second guides are separated from one another to provide a first opening width that accommodates insertion of tape cartridges of a first size between the first and second guides. The first and second guides are movable within the tape insertion opening to provide a second opening width that accommodates insertion of tape cartridges of a second size.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/555,427filed Nov. 09, 1995, abandoned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of tape drives, and moreparticularly, to a novel tape drive that can accommodate tape cartridgesof different sizes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional tape drives, such as those used in data archival tapesystems, are designed for use with a standard size tape cartridge, suchas that depicted in FIG. 1. Exemplary dimensions of the tape cartridge10 are 8 cm wide (W_(I)) by 6 cm deep (arrows D) and 1.4 cm high. Thetape cartridge 10 has two tape reels 12 which are driven by a drivecapstan 14. Guide posts 15 guide the tape 17 from the reels past acartridge door 16. The cartridge door 16 is provided on the front end ofthe tape cartridge 10 and is pivoted around a pivot 18 to swing open inthe direction of arrow 19. When the cartridge door 16 is open, the tape17 is exposed to a recording head (not illustrated) for recording on thetape 17.

FIGS. 3-5 depict a portion of a standard tape drive 21 and the insertionof the standard tape cartridge 10 into that drive. The tape drive 21 hasa mouth 23, and a stationary door opener 25 within the mouth 23. Thesequence of FIGS. 3-5 demonstrate the pivoting of the cartridge door 16upon insertion of the tape cartridge 10 by the door opener 25 when theouter edge 20 of the cartridge door 16 is pushed against the door opener25. In FIG. 3, the tape cartridge 10 is about to be inserted into thedrive, positioned in alignment with the drive mouth 23. As the cartridge10 enters the drive 21, shown in FIG. 4, the cartridge door 16 begins topivot open as it is brought into contact with opener 25. Once thecartridge door 16 is open and the tape cartridge 10 fully inserted (FIG.5), the tape 17 in the tape cartridge 10 is exposed to recording head27.

With increases in system memory capacity, there is a need for increasedarchival capacity. This can be provided by higher capacity tapecartridges, containing a longer tape than contained in the standard tapecartridges 10. Due to the greater length of tape, an increased capacitytape cartridge will necessarily be larger in size than a standard tapecartridge 10. However, tape drives that can accommodate a largercapacity tape cartridge should also be able to accommodate a standardcapacity tape cartridge to provide users with the option of which tapecartridge to use in a particular circumstance.

One type of higher capacity tape cartridge has a front end (the loadside) that is necked down to 8 cm wide to fit into a standard size drivemouth. A top view of an embodiment of such a tape cartridge withincreased archival capacity is depicted in FIG. 2. This high capacitytape cartridge 30 contains the same internal elements as that of thestandard tape cartridge 10 of FIG. 1. Hence, the high capacity tapecartridge 30 has tape reels 32, drive capstan 34, and guide posts 35.The tape cartridge 30 also has a cartridge door 36 pivotally mounted atpivot 38.

The front end 37 (the load end) of the tape cartridge 30 has the samewidth (e.g., 8 cm) as the front end of the standard tape cartridge 10.However, to provide the increased capacity for holding the longer tape,the housing 40 of the high capacity tape cartridge 30 is both deeper andwider toward the rear end 39 of the cartridge 30. As exemplarydimensions, when the high capacity tape cartridge 30 has an inner widthW_(I) of 8 cm (the same as the width W_(I) of the standard tapecartridge 10), the outer width W_(O) is 9.5 cm, and the depth D is 7.2cm. The height of the high capacity tape cartridge 30 is the same asthat of the standard capacity tape cartridge 10.

The widened rear end 39 of the high capacity tape cartridge 30 preventsthe tape cartridge 30 from being inserted in a standard tape drive tothe extent necessary to fully open the cartridge door 36. In order toinsert such a higher capacity tape cartridge 30 into a standard tapedrive, a drive mouth 41 must be made wider and a cartridge door opener43 within the drive mouth 41 must be positioned inwardly toward therecording head 45, such as depicted in FIG. 6a. However, simply makingthe drive mouth 41 of a tape drive wider and moving the door opener 43inward to accommodate a larger tape cartridge 30, causes the cartridgedoor 36 to open too late and hit the recording head 45. FIG. 6b depictsa partially inserted tape cartridge 30, and this late opening of thecartridge door 36.

There is therefore a need for a tape drive that can accommodate both thestandard capacity tape cartridges and the higher capacity tapecartridges, and still ensure that the cartridge door of the tapecartridges will clear the recording head as the tape cartridges areinserted into the tape drive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This and other needs are met by the present invention which provides adoor opening and tape cartridge centering arrangement for a tape drive,comprising a tape insertion opening, a first guide at a first side ofthe tape insertion opening, and a second guide at a second side of thetape insertion opening. The first and second guides are separated fromone another to provide a first opening width that accommodates insertionof tape cartridges of a first size between the first and second guides.The first and second guides are movable within the tape insertionopening to provide a second opening width that accommodates insertion oftape cartridges of a second size.

The use of a door opener and centering guide that is movable within thedrive mouth of a tape drive mechanism allows the door opener to be movedinwardly, but avoids opening the cartridge door too late. Since the dooropener is moved as a result of the insertion of a larger capacity tapeto expose a wider drive mouth, the tape drive mechanism is able toaccommodate different size and capacity tape cartridges. A single tapedrive can then be used with either a standard or a high capacity tapecartridge, depending on the needs of the user.

The foregoing and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of the present invention when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a standard size and capacity tape cartridge.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of a high capacity tape cartridge.

FIG. 3 is a top, cut-away view of the drive mouth of a standard tapedrive and standard tape prior to insertion in the tape drive.

FIG. 4 is a top, cut-away view of the drive mouth of a standard tapedrive and standard tape partially inserted in the tape drive.

FIG. 5 is a top, cut-away view of the drive mouth of a standard tapedrive and standard tape fully inserted in the tape drive.

FIG. 6a is a top, cut-away view of a modified standard tape drive priorto the insertion of a tape cartridge.

FIG. 6b is a top, cut-away view of the modified standard tape drive ofFIG. 6a during attempted insertion of a tape cartridge.

FIG. 7a is a top, cut-away view of the drive mouth of a tape driveconstructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,prior to insertion of a tape cartridge.

FIG. 7b is a view similar to FIG. 7a, but with the high capacity tapecartridge of FIG. 2 partially inserted into the drive mouth.

FIG. 7c is a view similar to FIG. 7a, but with the high capacity tapecartridge of FIG. 2 fully inserted into the drive mouth.

FIG. 8a is a top, cut-away view of the drive mouth of a tape driveconstructed in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention, after insertion of a standard tape cartridge shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8b is a view similar to FIG. 8a, but with a tape cartridge having awide lockout feature inserted into the drive mouth.

FIG. 8c is a view similar to FIG. 8a, but with the high capacity tapecartridge of FIG. 2 partially inserted into the drive mouth.

FIG. 8d is a view similar to FIG. 8c, but with the high capacity tapecartridge of FIG. 2 fully inserted into the drive mouth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT

FIG. 7a is a top view of a drive mouth region of a tape drive mechanism50 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. As the other elements of the tape drive mechanism 50 areconventional in nature, these other elements are, for brevity, notillustrated.

The tape drive mechanism 50 has a drive mouth 52 into which standard andhigh capacity tape cartridges 10, 30 can be inserted. The drive mouth 52has an outer width defined by a first side 54 and a second side 56. Thisouter width corresponds to the outer width W_(O) of the high capacitytape cartridge 30, and is therefore approximately 9.5 cm in certainpreferred embodiments.

A door opener 58 is located in the drive mouth and is depicted in FIG.7a in its first position. The door opener 58 comprises a spring guidewith a fixed end 60 and a free end 62 that catches the cartridge door.The spring guide (door opener) 58 extends at an acute angle from theside 54 of the interior of the drive mouth 52. The free end 62 of thespring guide 58 is a contact portion that contacts the cartridge door 36of a tape cartridge 30 to open the cartridge door as the tape cartridge30 is inserted into the tape drive.

A second spring guide 64 is fixed at one end 66 on the opposite side 56of the drive mouth 52. The second spring guide 64 also extends from itsfixed end 66 at an acute angle. The free ends 62, 68 of the springguides 58, 64 are separated from one another by a width approximatelyequal to the width W_(I) of a standard tape cartridge 10. Accordingly,when a standard tape cartridge 10 is inserted into the tape drive, thetape cartridge 10 fits between the spring guides 58, 64. There istherefore substantially no movement of the spring guides 58, 64 duringinsertion of a standard tape cartridge 10, although the first springguide 58 will interact with the cartridge door 16 to pivot the cartridgedoor open.

The first and second spring guides 58, 64 are biased to resist movementtowards the respective side walls 54, 56 such that the spring guides 58,64 remain substantially in the illustrated first position until thecartridge door 36 is fully open (see FIG. 7b). However, when a highcapacity tape cartridge 30 is more fully inserted, the force exerted bythe housing walls 84 against the spring guides 58, 64 overcomes theresistance of the biasing force. The spring guides 58, 64 are thus moved(or deflected) towards the respective sides 54, 56 of the drive mouth 52(see FIG. 7c) as the high capacity tape cartridge 30 is fully inserted.

The spring guides 58, 64 act to center tape cartridges, both standardand high capacity types, and also open their cartridge doors. By movingbetween first and second positions, the spring guides 58, 64 are able toaccommodate tape cartridges of different sizes and capacities. Althoughthe exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 7a-7c depicts the centering and dooropening arrangement of the present invention as having spring guides,other embodiments of the invention provide guides that are biased inother manners. For example, springs may be provided that extendperpendicularly from the sides to contact and bias guides that extend atacute angles from the sides.

Another embodiment of the present invention is depicted in FIGS. 8a-8d,this embodiment also being able to accommodate at least two differentsized tape cartridges. Instead of having guides that are moved ordeflected out to the sides of the drive mouth 52, however, thisembodiment has guides that are slidable back and forth along theinsertion direction to provide different insertion widths.

A first centering guide 88 acts as a door opening centering guide toopen the cartridge door (16, 36) of tape cartridges 10, 30. The dooropening centering guide 88 is slidably coupled to the interior side ofthe drive mouth. It cooperates with another centering guide 90 slidablycoupled to the opposite interior side of the drive mouth. The twocentering guides 88, 90 are coupled to one another and biased in theforward position (depicted in FIG. 8a) by a return spring 92. Inpreferred embodiments of the present invention, the return spring 92 isa wire form return spring. In other embodiments, the biasing force isprovided by other types of biasing devices, for example, by individualcoil springs longitudinally aligned in the direction of movement of theslides 88, 90.

As depicted in FIG. 8a, the centering guides 88, 90 are spaced apartfrom one another to accommodate a standard tape cartridge 10 betweenthem. Hence, during insertion of a standard tape cartridge 10, the dooropening centering guide 88 will contact the cartridge door 16 and pivotit open, but the two guides 88, 90 will remain in the first, illustratedposition due to the biasing by the return spring 92.

A feature of preferred embodiments of the present invention is theindependent mobility of the two guides 88, 90. In FIG. 8b, a tapecartridge 11, that is substantially the same size as a standard tapecartridge, also has a wide tape lockout feature 94 on the left hand sideof the tape cartridge 11 as viewed from above in FIG. 8b. This wide tapelockout feature pushes against the centering guide 90 during insertionof the tape cartridge 11. The centering guide 90 is pushed back againstthe force of the return spring 92. However, as the walls of the tapecartridge 11 do not push against the door opening centering guide 88,this centering guide 88 remains in its first position.

FIGS. 8c depicts the partial insertion of a high capacity tape cartridge30 into a tape drive of this embodiment, and FIG. 8d depicts the tapedrive with a high capacity tape cartridge 30 that has been fullyinserted. As the necked down front end is being inserted into the tapedrive, its cartridge door 36 is pivoted open by contact with the dooropening centering guide 88. The force causing the opening of the door 36is not enough to overcome the biasing force exerted by the return spring92 on the door opening centering guide 88, however, which remains inplace. Hence, the centering guides 88, 90 are not moved from their firstpositions during the partial insertion of the high capacity tapecartridge 30, as they are not pushed back by the necked down front end.It is only when the angled walls of the high capacity tape cartridge 30push against the centering guides 88, 90 that they move back against theforce of the return spring 92. The movement back by the centering guides88, 90 to their second, retracted position exposes a wider opening toaccommodate the widened rear end of the high capacity tape cartridge 30in the insertion opening or drive mouth of the tape drive.

Upon removal of the high capacity tape cartridge 30, the centeringguides 88, 90 are moved back to the first positions by the return spring92.

The embodiments of the tape drive of the present invention with amovable door opening and centering arrangement thus allows both standardcapacity tape cartridges and high capacity tape cartridges to be used inthe same tape drive.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated indetail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustrationand example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spiritand scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms ofthe appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A tape drive comprising:a drive mouth having interiorsides; a combined door opening and centering guide movably attached to afirst interior side within the drive mouth, and arranged to contact andguide a tape cartridge and open a cartridge door of the tape cartridgeduring insertion of the tape cartridge within the drive mouth, the dooropening and centering guide being configured in a first position on thefirst interior side during insertion of a tape cartridge of a firstsize, and being further configured to move from the first position to asecond position on the first interior side when contacted and forced byat least one wall of the tape cartridge during insertion of a tapecartridge of a second size to accommodate the tape cartridge of thesecond size within the drive mouth, wherein the first and secondpositions are different positions on the first interior side and thetape cartridges of the first and second sizes are not the same size;wherein the door opening and centering guide includes a contact portionarranged to contact the cartridge door upon initial insertion of thetape cartridge into the drive mouth, the contact portion interactingwith the cartridge door to open the cartridge door upon furtherinsertion of the tape cartridge in the drive mouth; further comprising abiasing device coupled to the door opening and centering guide to biasthe door opening and centering guide towards the first position andhaving a biasing force such that the door opening and centering guideremains substantially in the first position upon insertion of the tapecartridge to open the cartridge door and is permitted to move towardsthe second position when a tape cartridge of the second size is insertedto an extent such that a wall of the tape cartridge pushes the dooropening and centering guide towards the second position; wherein thedoor opening and centering guide is slidably coupled to the firstinterior side of the drive mouth.
 2. The tape drive of claim 1, whereinthe biasing device includes a return spring connected to the dooropening and centering guide.
 3. The tape drive of claim 2, furthercomprising a guide movably coupled to a second interior side of thedrive mouth, the guide moving independent from the door opening andcentering guide, the guide being configured to contact at least one ofthe walls of the tape cartridge during insertion of the tape cartridgewithin the drive mouth, such that the guide is in a first position onthe second interior side during insertion of the tape cartridge of thefirst size, and is moved from the first position on the second interiorside to a third position on the second interior side when contacted andforcibly moved by the wall of the tape cartridge during insertion of thetape cartridge of the second size to accommodate the tape cartridge ofthe second size within the drive mouth, and wherein the third positionon the second interior side is a different position from the firstposition on the second interior side.
 4. The tape drive of claim 3,wherein the guide is biased towards the first position on the secondinterior side with a biasing force, and wherein the guide is forciblymoved from the first position on the second interior side towards thethird position on the second interior side when a tape cartridge of thesecond size is inserted to an extent such that at least one wall of thetape cartridge contacts and pushes the guide towards the third positionon the second interior side, and wherein the biasing force is applied tothe guide to move the guide back to the first position on the secondinterior side when the tape cartridge of the second size is removed fromthe tape drive.
 5. The tape drive of claim 4, wherein the guide iscoupled to the return spring that supplies said biasing force.
 6. Thetape drive of claim 5, wherein the return spring is a wire form returnspring.